Man who falsely confessed to killing girl sentenced for molesting

June 14, 2007

BROWNSTOWN, Ind. (AP) — A man who falsely confessed to killing a Crothersville girl two years ago is serving a prison sentence for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. Jackson Circuit Court Judge William Vance approved a plea agreement May 10 for 23-year-old Charles "Chuckie" Hickman. Hickman pleaded guilty to molesting the girl two years before the murder of 10-year-old Katie Collman in 2005. Hickman confessed to her murder, but charges were later dropped when authorities linked Anthony Stockelman to the crime with DNA evidence. Stockelman pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. During the investigation, authorities said they discovered that Hickman had a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl when he was 18. The girl said she had sex with Hickman once or twice a week over nine months while she was a seventh-grader, according to investigators. Hickman was sentenced to six years in prison with four years suspended on the molestation charge. He also will be required to register as a sex offender after he is released, currently projected for Jan. 20. "It turns out to be a pretty decent deal except for the sex-offender registry," John Plummer III, Hickman's attorney, said Wednesday. "In cases like Chuckie's case, it can really hurt him in the future."